Self-propelled or walking device



' Apwfifl W mw v. MELER SELF PROPELLED OR WALKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet1 r Filed Nov. 7, 1934 A rriii F W360 I v. MELER P W SELF PROPELLED ORWALKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 7, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT omen One of the objects. of-the. present inventionis to producea self-propelled or walking device Wh h,;W eI1 used inthe.body ofa mechanical toy animal or-robot, .will closely simulate thewalking movements. of an animal or a person and move the-toyor robotforward or backward.

Thisdevice will be a very useful means for a.

new. type of merry-go-round with walking ani- A further purpose of thisinvention is .to-provide' a device for propelling an object. by meansother; than adhesion driving wheels, which device will createa.,-continuous alternating resist- .:ance of the body with. the ground,resulting in the propulsion of the. object;

This device can also be used in certain types of transportationfacilities, where a walking.

movement would produce the. best results; Such a device equipped withsnow-shoes would be very efficient in moving over deep. snow.

This device can also be used in propelling-a vessel upstream by:utilizing the current. as; the. motive power and the side-walls of thestream I bed'as the-point, of I resistance.

In the accompanying drawings, 4 I Figure. 1 represents one form. of.the. invention, being a. perspective view of the entire, device. withtwo groups of crank-shafts,,.each group compris I ing .two crankrshaftsplaced. horizontally and each group comprisingv two crank-shafts placedhorizontally and parallel to each other in a hori zontal line-, the twogroups being parallel to each other in a horizontal line; I 1 I I Figure5. shows the same device used in a twolegged toy; and

Figure 6 shows the. means by: which a two legged toy can maintain, itsbalance in moving.

In, Figure 1 the sides of the frame I comprise four pairs ofshaft-holders. 2, 2, Z, 2, 2, 2, 2-, 2, in which shaft-holders. revolvefour crank-shafts 3, 4,5, 6, all of the same length. In thisillustrationsaid crankeshafts are connected by linkv I to power. shaft,8, which shaft can be revolved by means-of spring-wind-motor, electricmotor, etc. (The'motive power can be transmitted to the crank-shafts bysome other means than a link, which means can be gears and pinions,etc.) I

A double crank is placed at bothends of each of the four crank-shafts 3,4, 5, 6,-all of the' double cranks being of the same size. Double 5crank 9 at one end of crank-shaft 3 is placed in the opposite directionto double crank Ill' at the other end ofcrank-shaft 3, which is truealso of double cranks 9', I0 of crank-shaft flfdouble cranks I I, I2 ofcrank-shaft 5, and double cranks 10 II', I2 ofcrank shaft- 6.

Crank-shafted, 4 are'pa'rallel to each other in a vertical line withdouble crank 9- of crankshaft 3 placed in the same direction as anddirectly above double crank 9 of crank-shaft 4, l5 and double crank IDof crank-shaft 3 placed in the'same-direction as and directlyabovedouble" crank III-of crank-shaft 4. Crank-shafts 5, 6 are parallel toeach other in a vertical line with double crank II of crank-shaft 5placed in-the 20 same direction as and directly above double crank I Iof crank-shaft 6, and double crank I2 of crank shaft 5 placed in thesame direction as and directly above double crank I2 of crank-shaft 6. j

Crank-shaft- 3-is parallel to crank-shaft 5 ina- 25 horizontal line withdoublecrank 9 of crank-shaft 3 placed in the opposite direction to and'on' the same side as double crank II of crank-shaft 5, said doublecranks'fi, I I being at the pointfarthest from the center of the device,and with double crank III of crank-shaft 3 placed in theoppositedirection to and on the same side as double crank ll ofcrank-shaft 5, said double cranks I0, Il being at the point nearest tothe center of the device. Crank-shafts 4, 6 are parallel to each otherina horizontal line with :their double cranks 9, I0, I I, I 2 placed inidentically the same way as double cranks 9, I0, II, I2 of crankshafts3,-5. 1 is Each of the four leg members I3, I4, I5, I6 is 40 suspendedfreely from two crank shafts through the two journal bearings I1,- I="I(see Fig. 3) at; the top of each'support. The distancebetween the twosaid journal bearings IT, IT is equal to thedistance between twoshaft-holders 2, 2 of the same group in the frame I. Leg member I3is'suspended from' double cranks 9, 9 of crankshafts 3', 4;. leg member I4is suspended. from double cranks I'll; I10 of crank-shafts 3; v4; legmember I5 is suspended from double cranks it, I't'50 ofcrank-shafts 5,6;and'leg member I6. is sues". pended from double cranks. I52, I12 ofcrank shafts 5, 6. Means I8. (see'Fig: 2) to avoid friction are 1 placedon-the crank-pins. between supports and cranks and at the ends of thecrank-shafts.

Each leg member forms with the frame a parallelogram linkage.

The following is a description of the movement of the device in thedirection as shown by arrow in Figure 1:

As the crank-shafts 3, 4, 5, 6 are being turned in unison by means ofthe link I and the power shaft 3, two leg members supports I3, I6 areraised, each leg member remaining always suspended as a result of theuse of two crank-shafts, which prevents the leg member from oscillatingor rotating. While leg members I3, I5 are being raised theothr two legmembers I4, I5 remain in contact with the ground due to the downwardmovement of double cranks I I], III, II, II from which leg members I l,I5 are suspended, which furnishes a resistance that moves the frame I upand forward then down, describing a semicircle, until leg members I3,I6, which are being raised, are lowered to the ground, which leg membersI3, IS in turn remain in contact with the ground while leg members I4,I5 and the frame I are being raised and propelled in the same way asdescribed, this movement being repeated as long as the power shaft isrevolved.

In Figure 4 the crank-shafts 3, 4, 5, 6 are arranged all parallel to oneanother in a horizontal line with the end double cranks 9, 9, ID, ID, II, I I, I2, I2 arranged in the same direction as in Figure 1, theoperation of this form of the device being the same as that in Figure 1.

One of the practical applications of this invention is shown in Figure5, which represents a two-legged toy, consisting of the body I, of twocrank-shafts 2, 3 parallel to each other in a vertical line, of two legs4, 5, of the power shaft at (S, and of means for maintaining the balanceof the toy when walking as illustrated in Figure 6. In this toy themotive power is transmitted to the crank-shafts 2, 3 by means of threepairs of gears I, I, I, l, I, I, all of the same size, and

an adequate number of pinions 8, 8, 8, 8. (The motive power can betransmitted to the said crank-shafts by some other means than gears andpinions, which means can be a link, etc.). jIhe arrangements of thedouble cranks and the operation is the same as that in the descriptionof Figure 1.

Various changes and alterations may be made in the general form of theparts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do notlimit myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

' 1 I claim:

1. In a self-propelled device, the combination of a frame member, anumber of sets of crankshafts journaled in said frame member, each ofsaid sets consisting of a number of crank-shafts mounted in substantialparallelism, a number of main cranks in each crank-shaft various degreesapart, a set of a number of leg members operatively connected with eachset of crank-shafts, each of said leg members having a number of,journal bearings cooperating with the correof a frame member, one setof crank-shafts journaled in said frame member, said set consisting of anumber of crank-shafts mounted in substantial parallelism, a number ofmain cranks in each crank-shaft Various degrees apart, a set of a numberof leg members operatively connected with the said set of crank-shafts,each of said leg members having a number of journal bearings cooperatingwith the corresponding cranks of said crank-shafts and constituting withthe said frame member a parallelogram linkage, a power shaft journaledin said frame member, the said set of crank-shafts being also providedwith connecting means with the power shaft, all of which are operativelyconnected whereby a propulsion of the device is obtained by a revolvingof the power shaft.

3. In a self-propelled device, the combination of a frame member, anumber of sets of crankshafts journaled in said frame member, each ofsaid sets consisting of a number of crank-shafts mounted alonghorizontal axes in substantial parallelism in the journal points onevertically above another, a number of main cranks in each crankshaftvarious degrees apart, a set of a number of leg members operativelyconnected with each set of crank-shafts, each of said leg members havinga number of journal bearings cooperating with the corresponding cranksof said crankshafts and constituting with said frame member aparallelogram linkage, a power shaft journaled in said frame member,each set of crank-shafts being also provided with connecting means withthe power shaft, all of which are operatively connected whereby apropulsion of the device is obtained by a revolving of the power shaft.

4. In a self-propelled device, the combination of a frame member, anumber of sets of crankshafts journaled in said frame member, each ofsaid sets consisting of a number of crank-shafts mounted alonghorizontal axes in substantial parallelism in the journal points onehorizontally beside another, a number of main cranks in each crank-shaftvarious degrees apart, a set of a number of leg members operativelyconnected with each set of crank-shafts, each of said leg members havinga number of journal bearings cooperating with the corresponding cranksof said crank-shafts and constituting with said frame member aparallelogram linkage, a power shaft journaled in said frame member,each set of crank-shafts being also provided with connecting means withthe power shaft, all of which are operatively connected whereby apropulsion of the device is obtained by a revolving of the power shaft.

5. In a self-propelled device, the combination of a frame member, anumber of sets of crankshafts journaled in said frame member, each ofsaid sets consisting of a number of crank-shafts mounted alonghorizontal axes in substantial parallelism in the journal points oneobliquely above another, a number of main cranks in each crank-shaftvarious degrees apart, a set of a number of leg members operativelyconnected with each set of crank-shafts, each of said leg members havinga number of journal bearings cooperating with the corresponding cranksof said crank-shafts and constituting with said frame member aparallelogram linkage, a power shaft journaled in said frame member,each set of crank-shafts being also provided with connecting means withthe power shaft, all of which are operatively connected whereby apropulsion of the device is obtained by a revolving of the power shaft.

6. In a walking toy as in claim 1 further characterized by: The numberof sets of crank-shafts 5 is limited. to two, the said sets havingcranks 180 degrees apart, each of said sets consisting of twocrank-shafts mounted along horizontal axes, two main cranks in eachcrank-shaft 180 degrees apart, two leg members in each set.

7. In a walking toy as in claim 2 further characterized by: The said setof crank-shafts consists of two crank-shafts mounted along horizontalaxes, two main cranks in each crank-shaft 180 degrees apart, a set oftwoleg members, the said frame connected with means to obtain balancewhen one leg is raised.

VJ EKOSLAV MELER.

